Stories tagged with KF17

I must admit that I’ve avoided writing this post for two months. It’s been particularly challenging since the topic has been the “elephant in the room” of my mind. Until now, I’ve been hesitant to communicate how I used to feel about religious businesses because I’ve been working at one. In the spirit of the daily...

Tucked against well-known neighbors China and Afghanistan, Tajikistan remains virtually anonymous to much of the Western world. Most today know scarcely more about Central Asia’s smallest country than when the first British and Russian spies of “The Great Game” traversed the Pamir mountains in the mid to late 1800s.

It’s my second to last week as a fellow in Ibarra, Ecuador and although I’ve seen and done a lot during my time here I’m still in full Panic-Mode as I haven’t yet bought a thing for my friends and family back home and time is ticking away ever so persistently.

Thankfully I quickly remember that I’m only 30 minutes away from the city of Otavalo and its world renown “Plaza de Ponchos”, a national hub for local talent and for beautiful and colorful handmade Ecuadorian crafts. With this in mind...

As Kiva Fellows, we often make long and arduous journeys to meet borrowers. During these trips, the discomfort of travel can cause us to lose sight of the uniqueness and beauty of our surroundings. When crammed into a van, bus, or boat, I’ve often had to crane my neck to check out locations that could serve as the backdrop...

No water = barrier for fish
(ran across this advertisement for a new aquarium one morning in Taksim Square on the way to work)

Maya has been a Kiva Field partner for 8 months. Maya is a small program that was established under the Foundation for the Support of Women’s Work in 2002. Maya’s target clients are low-income women with a primary school education that have limited...

After 2 months in the field I have finally landed in Bogota, Colombia’s decidedly hip capital city and the location for the rest of my fellowship. Up until know I’ve been bouncing around the country visiting borrowers, living mostly out of a (admittedly very large) backpack and becoming a discerning connoisseur of Colombia’s budget-hotel system. Before shifting my focus to my work here in Bogota, I’ve decided to pass on...

The fellows of KF17 have jumped into their Kiva work with both feet, visiting borrowers and meeting their new coworkers at their host field partners. (Photo of a Béninois borrower by Allison Moomey, Benin)

It’s the beginning of March, and by now, most of KF17 has been out in the field for several weeks. We’ve settled in at our field partners, gotten to know some of our new coworkers, and started to dig a...

All too often, when people talk about the positive impact of micro-credit, they focus exclusively on borrowers. While they are obviously a significant beneficiary of micro-credit, I have a dirty little secret for you: many other people benefit from micro-credit too.

There is an entirely different group of people who are having their lives changed for the...

Early on in my stay in Lomé I presented the Social Performance badge certificate awarded by Kiva to my microfinance institution WAGES. I made enquiries and had a gilded frame made for the certificate at a local photography shop, and presented it to the Director of Women and Associations for Gains for Economic and Social (WAGES), Monsieur NASSIROU Ramanou.

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About Kiva Fellows Program

Kiva Fellows are volunteers who maximize Kiva's impact around the world. By working closely with our Field Partners in over 50 countries, they make sure loan dollars go where they're needed most -- while having a few adventures along the way. Learn more >>